Avoid Being Underinsured with These Suggestions

Everyone knows about the importance of having renter’s or homeowner’s insurance. It’s important to have the right amount of coverage, too. Experiencing a disaster is bad enough; finding out you are underinsured is like being hit again. These suggestions will help you make sure your property is protected, no matter what happens.

Call your homeowner’s insurance agent if you’re remodeling your home. What you think is a minor improvement can add a significant amount to your home’s value and its replacement cost. In case of a loss, you want to be able to rebuild what you just remodeled.

Make sure your personal property is covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. Don’t forget to include clothing, electronics, furniture and appliances. Art, hobby items, collections, and other valuables should be included too.

Document your personal possessions. Nobody can remember every single book, shirt, or holiday decoration they own, especially in the emotional aftermath of a disaster. An easy way to document your property is with the video camera on your phone. Be sure to get clear shots of serial numbers on electronics. Store a copy of the video on a cloud server like Dropbox or Google Drive so you can access it anywhere or email it to an adjustor.

Consider buying flood insurance. Standard insurance policies don’t cover flood damage and you don’t need to live near a river or lake to experience flooding. Heavy rains and backed up sewers can cause expensive messes and without flood insurance, there’s nobody to help pay for cleanup and repair. Flood insurance costs vary, depending on location, but people who don’t live near water sources typically pay lower rates.

Talk to your agent about combining your insurances. You can get significant discounts if you have auto and home insurance with the same company. It’s also one less check or online payment to make.

If you have a flood at your home or business in Alexandria, VA, call the trained experts at ServiceMaster NCR. Our IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) trained technicians are available 24 hours a day to respond quickly to flooding emergencies. We use state of the art technology to remove excess water and begin the restoration process.

Restoration costs vary, depending on the extent of the damage. According to HomeAdvisor.com, the national average to repair water damage is $2,277.00.

Expert in emergency fire and water restoration services, fire cleanup and water damage cleanup, mold removal, as well as carpet and upholstery cleaning services. Contributor to several restoration and cleaning blogs.